


The One Where They All Go to New York for a Wedding

by Chioces



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Angst, Come Inflation, Comeplay, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feels, Jealous Derek, Jealousy, Just the Tip, Knotting, M/M, New York, Oblivious Derek, Oblivious Stiles, Top Derek Hale, Travel, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:52:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chioces/pseuds/Chioces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is invited to New York for a wedding, of corse it is customary for an Alpha to bring his entire pack to such an event, and Stiles somehow becomes his fake date. Oops!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has no beta so I apologize for all mistakes you will find along the way.

Flying was awesome. But the best part was how afraid of it Derek was. Something about _if wolves were born to fly they would have wings_. Stiles smothered his umpteenth snicker in a semi-cough as he glanced down at the white of Derek's knuckles where he was gripping the seat handles with such vigor it was a miracle they hadn’t crumbled into dust… yet. 

Quick recap in bullet points (Stiles was currently learning to make PowerPoint presentations so now most of his life was in bullet points. Also they were pretty.):

  * Derek had received a wedding invitation
  * From the Alpha of the pack he had been staying with during his time in New York
  * The invitation was _clearly_ addressed to Derek Hale and pack
  * Having been brought up with manners (or so he said, Stiles still wasn't too sure about the truth of this one, considering that the moment he had questioned it his back had a not so gentile re-acquaintance with the wall) the whole pack was to accompany him
  * Also everyone had gotten so excited Derek couldn’t say no without starting a minor uprising
  * Stiles was there because Derek had delegated the booking and organizing of everything to Stiles and he had simply booked himself in
  * Stiles was a ninja!



Now they were sitting in an airplane on their way to New York. Stiles was flying business.

When they had shown up at the check-in desk it had been chaos, everyone talking over each-other, trying to organize seating arrangements. _As if they couldn't have done this in the car..._ Thought Stiles exasperated. 

**Scott** : "Dude. I am sitting with-"

**Jackson** : "Everyone knows you're sitting with Allison. Shut up. Stiles- Lydia and I-

**Scott** : "Don't interrupt me! You know I hate that!"

**Erica** : "Stiles darling, I hope you booked me and the boys-"

**Isaac** : "The boys and I,"

**Erica** : "Whatever, Isaac! Stiles, pay attention!"

**Boyd** : "Erica, _what_ do you have in here? Are you aware we'll only be in New York for like four-"

**Jackson** : "Stiles-!"

**Derek** : _Growls_

**Stiles** : "Right everyone! SHUT UP!"

**Everyone** : _Embarrassed silence_

Stiles turned towards the lovely blond at the check-in desk, pulling Derek with him by the sleeve of his leather jacket.

"Hi! Sorry about the chaos," said Stiles giving her his best smile, "Ok, Derek, you got the passports?"

Derek pulled out the passports with a quiet growl and passed them to Stiles, who quickly rearranged them in seating order.

"Right, so Scott and Allison would like to be seated together. Lydia and Jackson... How many seats are there per row?"

"Three sir."

_She called me sir!_  Snickered Stiles in his head, if Derek's exasperated eye roll was anything to go by he knew exactly what Stiles was thinking. The giant creep.

"Great! And if you have a free row then would you please seat Erica, Isaac and Boyd together?"

"All done for you sir."

"Great, and you can seat Derek and I wherever."

"Closer to the front," said Derek and then, after Stiles' pointed stare added a tightlipped "please." 

"Oh! Mr. Hale! It looks like you have managed to gather quite the mileage! We can upgrade both you and your partner to Business Class absolutely free of charge!" Said the blond girl. 

"That would be amazing!" jumped in Stiles before Derek even got a chance to respond. The little flutter in his stomach at being called Derek's partner was firmly squashed. What little flutter? No flutters here! 

"Perfect! All done! Your gate number is 16A, passport control is to your right! Have a pleasant flight!"

Stiles took the passports and passed them out with a self-satisfied grin. Business class! Triple score! 

So here he was, siting in business class next to a petrified Derek who look as though, if he were to wolfout, his fur would stand on end. It was hilarious! 

Half an hour later it was far less hilarious. Derek was sweating and refusing to let go of the seat handles long enough to remove his leather jacket. His eyes were scrunched closed and he was doing that thing where he was pacing his breathing in an effort of calm himself down. It was most definitely not working.

Stiles sighed. He was kind of getting worried... He'd never flown anywhere before, and he wasn’t freaking out like a giant freak. Maybe he should try explaining to Derek how planes worked, he’d be like: _oh! Aerodynamics!_ and calm down. Great plan.

"Hey Derek," he said poking him, "let me tell you how planes work, it'll-" 

"Stiles?"

"Yes Derek?" 

"Shut. The fuck. Up."

"Oh. Ok." 

Stiles sat there a while, and finally, slowly, gently placed his hand onto Derek's hand. He thought for a moment that Derek would throw him off; instead the man sighed and minutely relaxed. 

Stiles could feel the warmth of where their hands were touching and concentrated on keeping his breath steady. No need to give Derek the opportunity to hear what this oddly intimate contact was doing to him. 

No unusual intimacy doing funny things to his stomach, just pack helping pack. He could do this. 

Slowly, slowly Stiles peeled Derek's fingers off of the seat handle interlacing their fingers.

"I think there's something going on between Erica, Isaac and Boyd."

Derek snorted. It wasn't quite an answer, but it wasn't uncontrollable panic either.

The rest of the flight was rather uneventful. Derek fell asleep some time after Stiles had taken his hand, Lydia tried to convince the flight attendant to mover her to business class, Jackson tried to bribe the flight attendant to move them to business class and Scott made puppy eyes at the flight attendant until she was forced to call for backup in the form of an old grumpy lady who’s children’s children had children and on whom Scotts puppy eyes had no effect whatsoever. 

Even though Derek slept through the plane landing Stiles still took his hand back in his, just in case the man were to wake up and freak out again. Seeing Derek scared was fun for a bit, getting a chance to glimpse past the oh-so-perfect façade that Derek insisted on maintaining, but seeing truly scared worried Stiles. Derek was his Alpha- nothing should really scare him. But maybe that was what pack was for, to cover up each other’s weaknesses.

Stiles shook Derek awake when the plane finally stopped.

“Wake up Sourwolf! We’re in New York City!”

“I fear for New York,” grumbled a surprisingly soft and sleepy Derek, “I truly do.”


	2. Chapter 2

The hotel was awesome! Stiles had impeccable taste, if he did say so himself, and he had gotten all the rooms at a super cheep price, well, if you consider what they had cost originally. 

The room split was the same as the seating arrangements on the plane and Derek, upon realizing that he would be sharing with Stiles, seemed so angry that it was a miracle the reception area was intact by the time the pack separated to go find their rooms. 

Derek silently signed the forms and picked up the keys, motioning for Stiles to follow, and for the first time since the beginning of this trip Stiles felt like maybe, just maybe, when Derek has told him to book the trip for the pack, he hadn't meant Stiles was included. 

"Is this ok?" asked Stiles tentatively as he and Derek made their way to their room.

"Fine," grunted Derek, and Stiles, if not relaxed then at least felt a little less like he was sucking all the light out of the world.

*

The room was amazing. A large sitting area divided from the sleeping area by a large marble wall with a TV on both sides. The bed was huge. But there was only one bed. 

Derek slammed his overnight bag, which he had refused to give to the bellboy, onto the gray armchair in sleeping area and turning on his heal stormed out of the room. 

Stiles sank down onto the bed sighing loudly. He knew Derek wasn't his biggest fan, but he really didn't expect the man to make such a big deal out of sharing a room with him. It was only for four days, which was like three nights. He wasn't that disagreeable... Was he? Getting Derek a separate room would have been expensive, and Stiles had really thought that this wouldn’t be a problem.

And yeah, a single bed wasn't what Stiles would wish for either, considering his little, ok, not so little, crush, but still! Derek could have just laughed about it with him before storming off. He didn't need to demonstrate his disgust at sharing a bed with him quite so... Obviously...

He shouldn't have come. He knew that now. He had just... Well, it was New York! And the whole pack was going! It had seemed like so much fun at the time. And in the plane, he had held Derek's hand and it had seemed like, for a moment, everything would work out.

The bellboy came and went, leaving Stiles' suitcase on the little unfolding thingy. And Stiles sat and waited, telling himself that it was ok, that it was alright for the man he... That it was ok that Derek couldn't stand to be in a space with him for three nights.

"This is their last room. The whole stupid place is booked out, anything else will cost a fortune," said Derek when he finally came back.

"I'm really sorry," Stiles murmured as he moved to unpack his bags, zombie like and silent.

If Derek noticed a difference in his behavior, he didn't comment.

*

The rest of the day was spent sightseeing. The whole pack joyous and animated, and soon enough Stiles snapped out of whatever dark little place he had gone to.

When evening fell and the pack was making it's way back to the hotel laughing and the humans slightly drunk on champagne that had been offered on the boat cruse they had taken, Lydia pulled Stiles aside.

"You and I, my friend, are going shopping!"

Stiles's first reaction was to say no, but then the thought of being trapped in a room with Derek and his anger was so terrifying that he couldn't help but let himself be dragged away.

"What are you wearing to the wedding?" Lydia asked lacing her arm through his.

"Ummm... Jeans and my dad's old dress shirt..?"

"Unacceptable, my dear. We are going to get you something glamorous. It's a New York wedding after all, you're going to want to look perfect!" She laughed, "this is going to be so much fun! New project!"

"Lydia, I like have no money for a shopping spree. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to, but-"

"Whatever Stilinski, my treat. One day, when you are a gazillionaire you can buy me a super expensive ball gown, for now just remember this: I'm buying, so I choose what you're getting."

"Deal. Lead on sugar mommy!"

*

It was late when Lydia and Stiles came back to the hotel, so Lydia went straight to her and Jackson's room while Stiles slowly wandered through the long corridors, meandering. He knew he should just go in, but it had been such an amazing evening with shopping and then dinner and drinks at some upscale bar, that somehow, magically, didn't card them, that Stiles didn't want to go back to the beautiful hotel room, with the beautiful man inside it, who would take one look at Stiles and cringe. He didn't want to go to sleep feeling lousy. We wanted to fall asleep like this, like he felt right now, happy, appreciated and loved. 

He was so glad that he was finally over his crush on Lydia and they had moved on to being friends. She was a goddess, but not his. And he would never be that man, the strong hyper-masculine man that she needed to balance her out, and he didn't want to be. They made a pretty awesome MFOTW destroying team, being just friends. And if he was honest with himself, he was far too preoccupied with a certain werewolf to really see her in that way anymore.

Speaking of which, he was at his room. ripping off Band-Aids and all that jazz.

Derek was already asleep when Stiles came in, thank god. He was curled around a pillow wearing a gray t-shirt. Stiles gently left his bags by the suitcases and made his way to the bed. In his defense, he only bumped into, like, three corners on his way. What could he do? Champagne cocktails just had a destabilizing effect on him, it would seem. 

*

Stiles woke up with Derek a warm line against his back and a palm on the bare skin of his stomach where his batman t-shirt had ridden up in his sleep. He was half hard and the tickle of Derek’s breath against the back of his neck was not helping matters. He glanced out of the window. The sun was only beginning to rise, and he was so warm, so safe in Derek’s arms, that maybe for once there was no reason to flail and panic. And even if Derek woke up and found them like that, well, it was not like Stiles could be blamed for spooning Derek. As he fell back asleep he couldn’t help but wonder for a moment what it was that had woken him.

*  
“Get up, Stiles,” was the first thing Stiles heard when he came to the next morning. It wasn’t a very pleasant thing to wake up to and left him with no interest whatsoever in pursuing the world outside of his warm bed and soft sheets.

“Stiles, breakfast finishes in fifteen minutes, and we’re not stopping on our way to the ceremony just because you are hungry. Do I make myself clear?”

Breakfast?.. Ceremony?.. Oh! New York!

Stiles was out of bed and rummaging through his suitcase so fast that Derek had to actually step out of his path. Stile would say stumble, but Derek didn’t stumble, so…

“Toothbrush, toothbrush, where art thou- ah ha! I am taking over the shower, so if you want anything in there, get it now, or forever hold your peace. Or, you know, at least until I come out.”

“Go brush your teeth Stilinski.”

Stiles turned back to grin at Derek, who it seemed had calmed down a bit about the rooming situation, only to find him bent over his suitcase. 

Which, really! Stiles had been so proud of himself for getting from the bed to his toothbrush and then to the toilet without any awkward reactions. Now the memory of Derek’s palm over his bare skin lit right back up, like a brand and Stiles had to slam shut the toilet door before the wolf had a chance to smell any… awkward reaction that the memory had brought with it. Too bad there wasn’t enough time to take care of his little problem. It was going to have to be a cold shower. 

*

The breakfast table was piled with food. There were eggs and meats and pancakes and fruits and cereal bowls. Stiles was pretty sure the hotel staff had never seen anything like it. Every few minutes someone would get up to go back to the buffet and bring back yet another plate laden with food. 

Stiles sat down next to Scott and immediately stole an egg roll from his plate.

“Hey!” snapped Scott, mouth full of food, “get your own!”

“Ok, ok… sheesh.” 

Stiles got everything. And a lot of it. He may have not been a werewolf, but he was a growing boy and he needed sustenance. Especially when it was amazingly prepared sustenance. 

“You know Derek,” said Stiles from across the table, “I think we should always eat in buffets. It will save us so much money on food.”  
“Stiles. I had to put up with you snoring all night. Please, do me a favor and shut up!”

“Aw honey! You treat me so well!” said Stiles, grinning at Derek. 

“Right,” said Derek, “listen up. The itinerary is as follows: today we are going to the Palace hotel where we will meet all the guests, do the networking thing and later have lunch, then we will have a few hours off before the rehearsal dinner. The ceremony will be tomorrow morning followed by the reception. On Sunday, which is also consequentially out last day, is the brunch.

“Rules and regulations. Firstly, you are only here because custom says an Alpha must bring his pack to events such as these, not bringing you along would simply be disrespectful. What the customs do not say, but imply very obviously is that weddings are not only about two people finding each other, but also about packs meeting other pack and, how should I put this delicately, forming bonds… if you catch my drift”

“Bonds? Like alliances?” asked Scott.

“No honey, bonds like sex,” said Allison.

Scott choked on his cream cheese bagel.

“Since you are all coupled off, this shouldn’t be a problem,” continued Derek, “None the less, you should expect random wolves to hit on your partners. Please control yourselves and do not start any fights to prove your undying stupidity. Most wolves back off once they realize the person they are hitting on is really in a relationship. Next, do not talk to the Alphas unless you are spoken to first. You do not need to be afraid of the other packs that will be there, but remember: these people are not your friends. Everything else is the same as it is at any other wedding, too much alcohol and awkward toasts. Go, get dressed, we’re meeting at the entrance in twenty minutes.”

“Wait!” said Stiles as everyone began to get up, “I don’t have a partner!”

“I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you Stiles,” said Derek as he walked away from the table. 

Stiles frowned. That was not very nice. But then again, Derek was never nice.

Well, thought Stiles, if this wedding was about packs mingling then maybe he finally had a chance to meet someone who didn’t see him as the pack’s token human. Maybe he’d find someone who hadn’t watched him grow up, or seen all the flailing about and making a fool of himself. Someone who would see him and, for once, choose him.


	3. Chapter 3

When Stiles came up to the room Derek was locked in the bathroom, presumably fixing his hair. Stiles picked up the Armani bag holding the suit that Lydia had picked out for him and began to change.

When Derek came out Stiles was buttoning up the last few buttons on his shirt. Stiles turned around, hands fluttering awkwardly from the buttons to his collar and back again. Derek looked spectacular. Stiles couldn’t help but gawk at him, eyes running up and down the man’s body. Derek was wearing simple grey trousers and a white button down, but oh, how the expensive material stretched over his shoulders… if this was what he looked like in a shirt and pants, god save Stiles when Derek actually puts on the suite he had brought along for the wedding.

Derek made a little choking noise and cleared his throat, looking somewhere over Stiles’ right shoulder his cheeks were slightly flushed and Stiles automatically felt bad for ogling the wolf like he was a piece of meat. Well, maybe only a little bad. If Derek was uncomfortable that was his problem. Stiles had to share a room with him! With Derek and all his muscles and shoulders and abs and-

“I, um-“ Derek started, but Stiles immediately cut him off.

“How do I look? I mean Lydia picked it out so it should be ok, but you said semi-formal and this feels hell-a formal to me and I’m not sure if I should button the top button or not, cus Lydia, she forgot to tell me and now I-“ Great Stiles, when in doubt just start rambling. 

“You look fine,” and there was the choking noise again.

“You didn’t even look!”

“Trust me, I looked,” said Derek shoving past him, “I’ll see you downstairs.” And just like that, he was gone.

Stiles ran a hand through his hair, buttoning and unbuttoning the stupid shirt once more before turning to leave, he caught sight of himself in the floor-length mirror beside the door and took a long look at himself. Lydia did well, even he could see that, the slightly shimmering ash grey shirt fit his figure perfectly and showed off everything he usually hid- the strength in his shoulders, put there by years of lacrosse practice, his flat tummy and wide chest. The charcoal slacks are impeccably tailored and as he turned he saw that they fit like a glove accentuating the curve of his ass.  
Feeling a little better about the whole situation Stiles grabbed his phone and made his way to the elevator- where he was, unceremoniously, nocked to the ground by a giant. 

The giant grabbed Stiles’ hand and dragged him up, pushing his own glasses into place and trying to flatten out Stiles’ shirt. Ok, so maybe he was not quite a giant, but still. The man was tall, taller than Derek, had blond wavy hair and warm grey eyes.

 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking and-“ the man stepped back and looked down at Stile “oh, wow… and wasn’t I an idiot for that?” 

Stiles blinked. He must have heard him wrong.

“Ummm…”

“My name is Josh! It’s a pleasure to meet you, well, knock you down, but um, still, a pleasure, truly.”

“Hi, I’m Stiles,” He replied slowly, watching the man like he would a predator.

“Stiles, listen, I’m so sorry and I really want to apologize to you properly, but I have a meeting that I can’t miss. Let me take you out for dinner,” he looked at Stiles hopefully, “please.”

“I um…” dinner? Please? What was this? Who was this man? And really, rushing in much? But gosh, he was gorgeous and hadn’t Stiles just decided that he was going to meet someone on this trip? And hell, this man, this Josh, sure was someone. Tall and hansom and blond, with laughing grey eyes and the exact opposite of Derek Hale, but, “I’m um, kinda here for a wedding and the rehearsal dinner is tonight.”

“Not a problem Stiles” said Josh, leading Stiles into the elevator (when had the elevator gotten here?) by placing an arm onto the small of his back. "We’ll go somewhere for desert then. This is my number” he pulls out a business card, handing it to Stiles, “call me as soon as you are done with dinner.”

“I-“ Stiles had never been at a loss for words, but this, this was just surreal, “Ok.”

“Ok,” smiled Josh extending his hand, which Stiles took to shake, “It’s a date then,” instead of shaking it, Josh brought Stile’s hand to his lips and kissed it gently, “I can’t wait.” And he was gone.

Stiles stood there a few seconds longer trying to process what had just happened. A man, a beautiful, older man had just asked him out. Stiles was going on a date! A real, grown up, full-fledged, date! Oh my god! 

Stiles grinned. He loved New York!

*

"Who was that?" asked Lydia conspiratorially as Stiles approached the group.

"That?" smiled Stiles, "oh, no one, I'll tell you later."

"Everyone is waiting for you," growled Derek low in his ear, grabbing Stiles' arm in a tight grip, making him wince. 

"I was just-"

"Do you really think I care?" Derek is so close now Stiles could feel his breath on his face.

"You're hurting me! Let go of my arm!"

"Get," snarled Derek shoving Stiles towards the door, "in the car. "

Stiles flailed, almost falling right back down on his ass, but Scott, dear, wonderful, best friend in the entire galaxy, Scott caught him and set him firmly on his feet. 

"Hey!" snapped Erica, punching Derek in the shoulder, "even I know that was uncalled for." 

Derek glared at her but after taking in Stiles' hurt look mumbled a gruff "whatever, sorry." And ushered them all to the door. 

*

Alfa Derek Hale and Pack were greeted at the door of a large banquet hall. They were all given glasses of champagne and told that the lunch was a rather informal affair and that they were to help themselves to the buffet and seat themselves wherever they like. 

Derek walked in first, the pack following behind him. 

"Stiles," snapped Derek, "get over here."

Stiles exchanged a confused look with Scott and moved to the front of the pack to join Derek.

"Stay close."

"Whatever you say oh powerful Alpha of mine."

"Let me make this very clear, if you undermine my authority even once during this trip I will decapitate you and make it look like an accident. Clear?"

"Clear."

They were all a sight to see, the girls in flowing pastel dresses, the guys in shirts and trousers, they look like the cast of a glamorous TV series, slow motion, impressive soundtrack and all.

"Alpha Hale," said a tiny graying woman that appeared so suddenly in front of them that Stiles nearly jumped.

"Alpha White," said Derek bowing low to kiss the woman's cheek. Stiles had to bite his lip to keep his mouth from falling open in shock, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the rest of the pack doing the same.

"Aunt Margaret, please child. It is good to see you looking so well. And with such a strong young pack. You have met my expectations and exceeded them, Derek."

Her smile was warm and caring and Derek's cheeks turned bright red.

"Thank you Anti Margaret. You do not know how much that means to me, to all of us. Let me please introduce you to my pack." 

Introductions were made all around and it soon became clear that the White pack and the Hale pack were once very close, Derek explained his lack of contact as grief at first and then wanting his pack to be properly trained before he would introduce him to his (and this was a direct quote) beloved aunt.

"Come, let us introduce them to my pack." said Aunt Margaret taking Derek by the arm, "my niece, Samantha, you remember her? Has just turned eighteen I think you two will hit it off splendidly. And I must say, she has grown into quite a stunning young woman."

"I'm sure she has," says Derek, smiling widely, and Stiles can feel his heart falling into the pit of his stomach, "but unfortunately I think my mate will hardly approve," Stiles' heart starts up twice as fast as it had been beetling before he stares at Derek wide eyes, the man looks back at him and smirks, "would you, Stiles?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so firstly I would like to say: I’m sorry!!!! For taking so long to update! Life kinda got the better of me and I was like: no. Will not read fanfiction. Will not write fanfiction until I get everything else sorted. I got it sorted. Eventually. 
> 
> Secondly, thank you all so much for the beautiful comments! They make me so happy! Seriously. I have a bad day, then I read your feedback and I’m like: this day rocks! 
> 
> Anyway, hope you like it enough to forget that you hate me!
> 
> Love,  
> Me


	4. Chapter 4

"Come, let us introduce them to my pack." said Aunt Margaret taking Derek by the arm, "my niece, Samantha, you remember her? Has just turned eighteen I think you two will hit it off splendidly. And I must say, she has grown into quite a stunning young woman."

"I'm sure she has," says Derek, smiling widely, and Stiles can feel his heart falling into the pit of his stomach, "but unfortunately I think my mate will hardly approve," Stiles' heart starts up twice as fast as it had been beetling before he stares at Derek wide eyes, the man looks back at him and smirks, "would you Stiles?"

...................

"Would I? What?" 

"Would you approve of me being introduced to beautiful young women?"

"Hardly," Stiles croaked but composed himself quickly, "the only beautiful young women I approve of talking to you dear, are pack." Stiles smiled down at Aunt Margaret placing his hand on Derek's arm only to have it covered by the warmth of Derek's own.

Stiles shuddered, but did nothing to remove his hand. 

Aunt Margaret smiles happily "I had thought I smelled you on him, Derek dear, but I didn't want to presume. I am so happy for both of you," Derek and Stiles smile happily at each other, Derek's hand squeezing his briefly and his heart flutters at the touch and at the warmth he sees in the stormy blue eyes that only this morning had looked at him so coldly.

"Ah, young love, truly a sight to behold." 

“Derek dear,” says Stiles, “I’m gonna run to the men’s room quickly?” he hadn’t meant it to come out as a question, but it had. 

“Of course,” murmured Derek and leaned down to bush his lips against Stiles’ in the softest most gentle and innocent kiss since the creation of life, the universe and everything. 

Stiles stepped back from him and, for lack of better word, fled. 

He was in the bathroom washing his face with cold water when Scott came in. 

“Dude! What the hell!”

“I have no idea! Did you see that? Did you hear that? What the hell!”

“That's what I said! Did you guys plan this?”

“No! Did you guys plan this?” 

“No! Jesus Stiles! On what planet do you think I would plan something like this! And not tell you!” 

“Shut up. Both of you,” Derek was standing there, behind them “Scott, get out of here.”

Scott glanced at Stiles, but he placed a placating hand on Scott’s shoulder and shook his head.

“Go on, I’ll be fine.”

As soon as Scott was gone Stiles turned on Derek.

“What. The. Hell. Was. That.”

“It was necessary.”

“And you didn’t think to, I don't know, warn me? Prepare me somehow! Say something like: oh! Stiles! I’m going to pretend that you are my mate!” 

“I had hoped that my sent on you would be enough and the issue wouldn’t come up. It did, so I was forced to improvise. I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable, but I cannot think of another way to keep them off my back.”

“Jesus Derek! I don’t know what to even say to that!”

“Say it’s ok,” said Derek, crowding Stiles against the sink, “Say you will do this, say you will help me.” 

Stiles looked up at him, taking a shaky breath, this close all he could think about was the dammed brush of lips and the electric rush he had felt all over his body when Derek had kissed him. Of course he would help, of course he was in, anything to have Derek look at him like the, touch him with gentle fingers, kiss him. Pretend didn’t matter, for three days Stiles would pretend that he had Derek and that he could keep him. But first-

“You hurt me, not even an hour ago. You grabbed my arm so hard I’ve probably got bruises. And now you want me to pretend we’re-“

“That’s all it will be Stiles, pretend, and I promise not to manhandle you again. Just do this one thing for me.”

“Fine. I’ll do it. But if I say stop, you stop.”

“Done.”

The rest of the day was a blessing and a nightmare all rolled into one fine mess. Stiles went from being ecstatically happy to terribly sad and back again, over and over and over until it felt like he had vertigo and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a year. Derek was constantly touching him, pulling him close, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, but every time Stiles got too caught up in the game he’d catch sight of one of the Betas sending him a worried glance, and he’d remember that it was all for show all over again. 

The other werewolves loved him though, covering him in praise from head to toe. He was introduced to pack after pack and every once in a while the healers, that had gathered in their own little circle would pull him away from Derek’s side in order to discuss magic and casting and rituals. 

Stiles loved it. Loved being treated like an adult and a valued part of the pack. Loved that these, much older, much more experienced healers were listening to him talk and asking his opinion on the effects of monkshood the healing of werewolves in his pack. Derek would always come to find him after a while and with a kiss on the back of his neck and a gentle tug would pull him away to mingle some more.

**pros and cons of pretending to be your Alpha’s mate** /p>

Pros:

• Loads of respect  
• So much respect  
• From like EVERYONE  
• Derek was hot  
• Derek was gentle  
• Derek did not avoid eye contact  
• Pressed his face into Stiles’s hair and smelled him (ok, that was kinda weird, but still)  
• Derek listened, really listened, not the shit! our lives are in danger I’ll listen, but the actual kind  
• Everyone kept telling Derek how lucky he was to have him  
• Derek always replied: yeah.  
• With each yeah, it sounded more real

Cons:

• It was all pretend 

When they moved to the room with the dinner Stiles was given the seat on Derek’s right and began to talk amicably to a young werewolf from the White pack. The boy, Steve, was going to be doing his SATs the next school year and wanted Stiles to tell him about the best resources to use in preparation. 

As Stiles talked, Derek stretched out a hand along the back of his chair and began to rub his thumb slowly up and down Stiles’ neck. Stiles shuddered, but focused his attention back on Steve. 

“So there’s also this site that makes the coolest flash card-“ Stiles shifted around in his seat as Derek’s thumb slipped lower under his shirt collar and he began to feel the first stirrings of arousal. Fuck. What was he supposed to do now? He was stuck here and he couldn’t just move Derek’s hand, not without it looking weird.

Stiles leaned into Derek, pressing his face into his neck in order to muffle his words as much as possible.

“Derek,”

“Hmmm,” and that was coming from the other side of Stiles’ neck! Derek had leaned in and pulled Stiles even closer using the hand on his neck as leverage and then scraped his teeth right over the sensitive pulse point in Stiles’s neck. Stiles whimpered, “That’s it,” murmured Derek, not moving away, “Mine,” and with a light kiss to Stiles’ neck pulled back and returned to his earlier conversation with Alpha Marlinton.

Stiles glanced around, blushing a deep red and accidently caught Helen’s, one of Aunt Margaret’s betas, eyes, she gave him a lewd wink, that said she knew exactly what Stiles was thinking and just how aroused he was. 

Stiles sat there for a long time, trying to compose himself, it was not that the PDA was rude, werewolves saw no shame in showing their affection openly. The Alpha’s were the worst, sent-marking their mates with kisses and touches and possessive murmurs of mine. But this? This was just torture and there was no way that Derek had not noticed the sent of his arousal. If Helen could tell from across the table, then Derek could tell right beside him and it was not ok. 

Stiles pulled out his phone and the small white card Josh had given him. Josh Blakely it said in shiny gold letters and a phone number bellow that, nothing else. No company or position. Stiles shrugged, it’s not like it mattered where Josh worked, all that mattered was that he liked him and if Josh were to kiss his neck he would mean it.

**Stiles:** Hey, it’s Stiles, we met in the hotel? 

**Josh:** Stiles! I’m so happy you wrote! What time shall we meet? Do you want me to pick you up somewhere?

Stiles glanced up. No. As much as he would love to see the expression on Derek’s face if he got into a car with a stranger instead of with him, Stiles couldn’t risk anyone from the other packs seeing the Alpha’s ‘mate’ leaving in some other man’s car.

 **Stiles:** lol) no, It’s ok, we can meet up outside the hotel. Should be done with dinner in about an hour, how’s that?

 **Josh:** Perfect! I am very much looking forward to our evening!

A bit intense, but why the hell not. At least Stiles knew exactly what was going on, nitpicking at bits of sentences to find some hidden meaning. All cards on the table was refreshing for a change. 

Derek leaned into Stiles again, brushing his nose against the same sensitive spot on his neck.

“Who are you texting?”

“My Dad.”

“Hmm.”

 **Stiles:** me too)


	5. Chapter 5

By the time the bride and groom stood to give their speech,

**Bullet points of the bride and groom speech:**

  * Thank you all so much for coming


  * Yada yada yada


  * Surrounded by family and friends


  * Yada yada


  * Love you all so much


  * True love


  * Forever


  * And ever


  * Hope you are all this lucky too



Derek was slightly tipsy from wolvesbane-laced wine and there is literally no place left for romance in Stiles. Drunken Derek was a menace. _Hope you are all this lucky too- my ass._ He was handsy and stupid and laughed too loud and kept whispering what he must have thought were sweet nothings, but to Stiles were just flies. Annoying buzzing flies. Because Stiles was not listening to what Derek and his stupid wandering hands were saying. Nope. Not at all. Stiles had a Date with a capital D and Derek’s words were just flies. Big annoying flies that he wanted to swat.

Finally the bride and groom, who were actually quite a lovely couple, Nina and Oliver, her with long blond hair and him all tall, dark and handsome and French, oh so French, stood to give a final toast. Stiles was nearly vibrating in his seat. This was it. He was leaving now and was finally getting away from Derek and his stupid grabby hands. At the first sign of movement from the other guests Stiles was out of his seat and making a beeline to the door. He still had the actual wedding and then the brunch to still get through. How the hell was Stiles ment to put up with this torture!

“Where do you think you’re going, little lamb?”

And freedom had been so close. Derek was standing, pressed up behind him, pinning the arm he had grabbed behind Stiles’ back.

“Fuck,” hissed Stiles as Derek pressed his face into the back of his neck. 

“Mmm, not yet, but soon,” Derek moved a little closer and suddenly Stiles found the cleft of his ass getting very closely acquainted with Derek’s unmistakably hard cock while Derek’s hand slipped under his shirt were it had gotten loose during diner. Vaguely Stiles registered the pack leaving after sending worried glances back at them, but he was too far-gone for it to really matter.

“You can’t go anywhere with out me.” 

“Derek!” Stiles squeaked, but the room had cleared out surprisingly fast and they were suddenly alone in the large banquet hall.

As Derek’s fingers brushed the skin at the line of his trousers Stiles mind went blank. With a groan, his head fell back onto Derek’s shoulder, neck exposed and Derek wasted no time attacking it with nips and kisses. Stiles was shaking. With a roomful of strangers just outside, Stiles was shaking apart. 

Suddenly Derek was spinning them around and Stiles found himself being slammed into the wall and Derek was kissing him. Derek was kissing him. This was his first kiss with Derek. This was his first kiss with Derek and it was fake. Fuck. 

How Stiles got out of Derek’s clutches was a mystery.

“Stop.” 

Derek was moving towards Stiles again.

“I said stop, Derek,” he was about to go on, but in the last moment remembered the charade and pulled himself back together, “there are people here honey. Lets go home.”

“Home,” growled Derek and grabbing Stiles’ wrist dragged him outside, you know, just in case there was ever any doubt that he was a born and bred caveman.

*

“You can’t kiss me again,” said Stiles as the cab approached the hotel. The others had gotten their own cabs, thank god. There was no way Stiles was having this conversation surrounded by the pack.

“Why not?” asked Derek, suddenly looking more sober then he had since lunchtime.

“Because it’s not fair, Derek.” 

“What do you mean?”

The cab stopped and Stiles got out. 

“It’s not fair,” said Stiles once more and closed the cab door, leaving Derek to pay.

Stiles nearly jumped out of his skin when he walked right into Josh, who grabbed him gently around the waist to keep him from falling, yet again. 

“We have to stop meeting like this,” said Josh, laughing. 

“Oh, um, hi!” and if it came out as a squeak, who could blame him?

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Stiles glanced back at the cab he just stepped out of, but Derek was arguing with the cab driver and oblivious to what was happening not six feet away from him.

“Let’s go then!” and with that led Stiles to a flashy navy blue Maserati parked right in front of the cab. 

Josh opened the door for Stiles and then went around to sit in the driver’s seat.

As they sped away, Stiles thought he could hear a roar, but it must have just been distant thunder.

*

Josh brought him to a stylish cocktail bar in the meatpacking district. It was quite possibly the fanciest place Stiles had ever been to in his entire life. All the punters sleek and glamorous. For a moment Stiles felt out of place, but then he caught sight of himself in his grey shirt and trousers and Josh, tall and blond and gorgeous, in the huge mirror on the wall and was shocked to realize that they fitted in. Perfectly.

The table they were led to was tiny and intimate and Josh wasted no time taking Stile’s hand into his and stroking it. Stiles wondered for a moment if Josh was being too intense or if his complete and utter lack of dating had put him so far out of the game he had forgotten how it was done. 

The conversation started out a bit slow, but soon they were in a full-blown discussion about the impact of online education on the world. 

Turned out Josh was a techy. Working on some IT startup that Stiles had never heard of before but would be sure to Google the hell out of the moment he got back to the hotel room. He had a good eight years on Stiles, which made him even older then Derek.

It was an amazing feeling, talking to someone who’s life was not made up of life and death situations. Talking to a man that wanted to change the world instead of the self-centered attitude the werewolves had. Josh wanted to change the world, wanted to do something huge, and when Stiles asked him how he was so sure that he would be able to, Josh just laughed. He laughed as though failure was not even in his lexicon. And Stiles loved it. 

Stiles found he had a lot to contribute. He had thoughts and ideas and Josh listened and nodded with a soft smile on his face. 

“You amaze me. Truly.” Murmured Josh out of the blue and kissed Stiles’ knuckles. And if Stiles felt a little bit like he was cheating on Derek, well, that was irrelevant.

When Josh went to the toilet Stiles pulled out his phone. It has six texts. One from Erica, one from Lydia, one from Scott and three from Derek.

 **Erica:** where the f are you?

 **Lydia:** it seems you have been misplaced. 

 **Derek:** Where are you?

 **Derek:** Stiles.

 **Derek:** do what you want. 

Do what you want? That was exactly what Stiles was doing. What he wanted. Whatever. Derek was not going to ruin his evening.

 **Scott:** where are you? Derek’s livid.

 **Stiles:** on a date. Not my problem.

 **Scott:** seriously?

 **Stile:** yep. A real one.

 **Scott:** when did this happen?

 **Stiles:** this morning :DDD bumped into him by the elevator. 

 **Scott:** woah man! good for you! Have fun. Will try to keep Derek from tracking you down and killing you.

 **Stiles:** best friend EVER

The rest of the evening went sensationally. There was live music, Jazz, with a man at the baby grand standing in the center of the bar and a woman in a long silver gown singing.

Stiles was mesmerized. Josh was perfect. His grey eyes were warm and never left Stiles, he was attentive and careful and Stiles felt like the center of the world.

They got the bill and Josh paid, swatting away Stiles attempt at taking the bill.

When they left the bar Josh kissed him. It was soft and sweet and gentile and nothing like kissing Derek. Not at all. Maybe there was no exposition of butterflies, but there was a definite warm glow and Stiles found himself smiling happily as he got into the car. 

When they reached the hotel and gave the keys the valet Josh kissed him again. This time with more intent. He pulled Stiles into the elevator and the moment the silver doors closed Stiles found himself pushed up against them, being kissed within an inch of his life for the second time in one day. Josh ran his hands up and down Stiles’ sides and Stiles tentatively reached up to run his fingers through Josh’s blond hair.

 _This is nice_ , thought Stiles.

“Come to my room,” whispered Josh as he nibbled on Stiles’ ear.

“Oh!” squeaked Stiles, “I would, but I can’t tonight." 

“Come on…" 

“Josh,” but then the elevator doors opened and Stiles was saved. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” And hurried off to his room.

*

“Go shower. You reek.” The lights in the room were off and Derek was lying in bed on his side facing away from Stiles. 

“I smell just fine. I’ll shower in the morning.”

“I will not let you into bed stinking of some man. It’s sickening. Get into the shower or go sleep somewhere else.”

“What the fuck crawled up your ass and died? Dick.”

But Stiles went into the shower. What the hell was that? He had never seen Derek act to weird about scent before. But then again, there had been the time Isaac had dated that girl from the year below and everyone would wrinkle their noses when they walked past him until he showered. 

Derek had explained that the new scent was instinctively intrusive in what was meant to be pack space. That was it. God. No need to be so bitchy about it though. He could have just said that the unfamiliar scent was intrusive. No need to be a dick about it. Some man. Hah. Josh was not some man. Josh was awesome.

The shower was warm, the pressure perfect and soon Stiles found himself relaxing. By the time he came out of the shower he was so happy with life in general that he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry with Derek for being weird.

“Better?” asked Stiles climbing into bed. “Derek?” asked Stiles reaching over to touch Derek’s shoulder. Derek flinched away so hard that Stiles gasped.

“Do not touch me.”

“Derek?” but Derek didn’t move or speak again, and soon Stiles switched off the light and went to sleep. 


	6. Chapter 6

_Derek was running his hands up and down Stiles's bare back._

_Stiles squirmed closer, rubbing his face into the soft skin of his chest. He lay curled around the man, legs tangled, hand spayed wide, pinky catching on the man's nipple. He was half hard, and so was Derek but it was that slow kind of arousal, where the contentment outshone the need and they were both ok with waiting, with letting it build._

_"My boy," Derek murmured into his hair, pressing a soft kiss there. It was a quiet moment, just the two of them in a clearing, the pack running around somewhere playing a modified version of tag mixed with hide and seek and packaged into the werewolf skills development part of training._

_Stiles hummed, "Always," closing his eyes._

_The sunlight flickered through the branches_ _and Sti_ les blinked his eyes open to the New York City skyline outside their hotel room window.

He was still lying on Derek's chest and Derek's fingers were playing with the small of his back, slipping under his boxer-briefs. It was... Nice... Stiles couldn't be sure, but he had a feeling that Derek was awake.

In the half-light of morning Stlies sleepily thought about his dad and how proud he had been when Stiles had gotten into the car for New York, how he felt the he no longer had to worry about his son being forever alone, how he was happy that Stiles now had friends to look out for him. He ran his fingers over Derek's bare chest and sighed contentedly.

It all seemed so normal, so natural that Stiles didn't notice that this was so out of character for them both that they may as well have slipped into a parallel universe.

"Go. Shower, we need to be at breakfast soon," murmured Derek. And Stiles, quiet, afraid to break the peace, climbed out of bed and made his way to the shower.

*

The half magical, haziness of the morning remained all through breakfast, Derek quite and reserved, Stiles half asleep by his side. It lasted right up until the moment they got to the elevator to go upstairs and change for the ceremony. The elevator chimed, the doors opened and Josh was right there, walking out. He grinned when he saw Stiles, catching him around the waist and twirling him. Josh completely ignored Derek who was standing there dumbfounded and kissed Stiles gently on the lips.

"Good morning, darling. Will you be my good luck charm again today?" And he kissed Stlies again, laughing.

He leaned in close, resting his forehead against Stiles's and smiled warmly.

"Hey," murmured Sitles, blushing.

"Hey," said Josh, just as quietly, "missed you by my side last night,"

There was a choking noise from Derek's direction, but when Stiles looked up Derek was gone and Josh's fingers on his chin drew his attention back to him.

“How about, tonight, you let me sneak you out of the hell that the wedding reception is bound to be?”

Stiles began to pull away, opened his mouth to say no, this morning had been perfect, odd and surreal, but perfect. And then he thought about the last few days and the way Derek had been treating him, how he was cold one minute and hot the next, how he was rude and unusually aggressive and thought: no. here was a beautiful amazing guy… man, who wanted to take him out and shower him in attention and affection. Who was kind to him all the time, not just when he was sleepy and hungover. Who didn’t want to pretend to date Stiles because he wanted to actually date Stiles.

“Yeah,” said Stiles, “yeah, that sounds perfect.” 

“Good,” said Josh and stole one last kiss.  He stepped away from Stiles, then stepped back, running his fingers down his cheek. “I’m really happy I ran into you, darling. Have a good day.”

And with that, he was gone.

When Stiles got to the room Derek was already dressed, he was wearing a stunning Tom Ford black three-piece suit and a white shirt and if Stiles thought yesterdays outfit was hot, it had nothing on this. Stiles’s heart fluttered as Derek turned to look at him, hands trying to fit a cufflink into a shirt sleeve.

Stile’s stupid heart fluttered and he couldn’t help but walk forward and take Derek’s hand gently in his. 

“Here, let me,” he murmured. And maybe Derek grimaced, but at least he didn’t pull away.

Stiles could do this. He could date another man and this, this flutter Derek caused would go away eventually.

 _He has been attentive all day_ whispers a voice in his mind.

 _No_. He says back to it, _if there were something there would be… something… he would do something._

“I… um… I’ll probably leave the reception early… you’ll tell the other Alpha’s I’m feeling under the weather or something. There. Give me the other one.” Stiles took Derek’s other hand and began fitting in the cufflink. It was a lot harder than he had originally thought.

Derek kind of shuffled awkwardly and tugged at his sleeve.

“Stop moving! This is difficult enough as it is.”

“I’ll think of something to say to the other Alpha’s. But you’ll need to shower before you change. You smell… of someone else.”

And if Stiles noticed the difficulty Derek had at getting the words out or the way he scrunched his eyes shut, as if in pain, he paid it not mind. 

Stiles was too busy holding himself together. That was it. Derek was ok with him dating another man. It was… no. This was good. This was a good thing. He would move on and maybe one day he could be Derek’s friend, without all of these inappropriate feelings. Maybe one day he’ll be doing up the cufflinks of Derek’s shirt on the day of the werewolf’s wedding and he will be just a friend, maybe even best man. And he would be happy.

The bile that rose up in Stiles’s throat was choked down easily enough. He could do this. He was a warrior. He was a super hero. Mind over matter, Stiles, mind over matter.

“We’ll be downstairs,” said Derek stepping away and moving to the door. He paused, hand on the doorknob. “Stiles?” 

“Hm?” asked Stiles turning around to look at him. The werewolf trembled, shook his head and walked out the door.

“Nothing.”

* 

In the shower Stiles ran his fingers over a cracked tile. Funny. He was sure this wasn’t there that morning.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. I am officially the worst person ever. I’m sorry this took so long! But in my defense (not that there is really anything I can say to make up for the months it took me to get this here) I:
> 
> A) Got a real grown up job and man, let me tell you, that stuff takes up so much brain power! And every time I stat down to write something remotely unrelated to my job I felt guilty because if I had the energy to write then I should be writing for my job. 
> 
> B) I was going through some emotional stuff and really didn’t want to take it out on poor Derek and Stiles, and it was looking like that was exactly what was going to happen.
> 
> also link to Derek's suit: http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/543441/chris-evans-tom-ford-suit-02/


	7. Chapter 7

There were catcalls. Actual catcalls when Stiles walked into the lobby. He was wearing a grey tartan suit with a burgundy shirt underneath and black suede shoes. Stiles blushed.

“Hey there sexual!” said Erica, taking him under the arm. She had on a taffy pink dress with a layered skirt and a jeweled belt.

“You look like a real adult!” teased Scott. 

“Thanks Scott, you look like a real puppy,” said Stiles sticking out his tongue. “God, I can’t believe we’ve finally graduated!”

“Community college here we come,” grumbles Lydia. 

“Don’t be like that you’ll be doing Harvard distance learning and I’ll be doing the same thing at Stanford. The degrees we get in the end will be the same as if we had gone there physically.” 

“Yes, but think of all the networking we’ll be missing out on!”

“If it really bothers you-“ says Derek, but Lydia cuts him off.

“No, we’ll still be flying in to all the major events and really, do you think it will take me long to charm the chairmen of the board?” she asks gesturing down at herself.

Lydia was wearing a beige high wasted pencil skirt and short-cropped top made of thick lace with thin strip of skin left exposed at her midriff. Everyone shook their heads vehemently. They could all be a bit slow at times, but they weren’t idiots. 

Lydia smirked and moved closer to Stiles.

“Good, good,” said Lydia, walking a circle around him and fixing his shirt collar. She stepped back and grinned, admiring her handiwork.

“Derek, here, I got this for you.” She took a small bag from Jackson and pulled out a burgundy tie, the same color as Stiles’s shirt.

Derek frowned at the thing but moved forward when Lydia beckoned.

“Here,” started Stiles, “let me-“

“Its fine,” said Derek, “Lydia’s got it.”

Stiles stepped back, worrying his bottom lip. He looked back a the rest of the guys, Isaac was wearing a grey suit with a crisp white shirt, Boyd was in all black, Scott was wearing navy blue and white, matching Allison’s sparkling navy blue dress and Jackson’s tie matched Lydia’s dress. Count on her to always think ten steps ahead. Though, come to think of it… when they were buying Stiles the shirt no one knew about Derek’s little plan.

“Lyds… when did you get that?” he asks. 

“The tie? Oh, got it delivered last night.”  

“Really? Didn’t know they delivered so late.”

“Yeah, I thought of it at the reception,” said Lydia

“Hmmm…”

“It’s a nice touch,” said Derek giving Lydia a small smile.

 

*

 

The wedding was beautiful. The bride, Nina, was stunning, in a flowing gown of shimmering white silk embroidered with crystal flowers, the groom was ginning and proud and they seemed so ridiculously happy to have found each other, to have gotten each other and Stiles felt something tugging on his heart as he looked at them. He hoped someday _Der-_ someone would be just as happy to see him walking down the isle. Just as proud to be his husband as Oliver was to be Nina’s. 

Derek held his hand in all the right places, kissed his head as Oliver read his vows and looks at Stiles with something so special while Nina read hers that it took Stile’s breath away and he found himself leaning closer and placing a chaste kiss on Derek’s lips. Derek clutched him closer and growled, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss until Erica swatted them with her handbag from the row behind.

“Manners!” she hissed. A few snickers broke out around them and Stiles blushed. _Super subtle Stilinski, great!_

Derek at least had the decency to look properly chastened. 

And then it was “You may kiss the bride” and everyone was rising and clapping and whooping. Suddenly the werewolves were all shifting and Oliver was throwing his head back and howling. Nina joined him, her howl mixing in with his and then every werewolf in the room was joining in and Stiles laughed, eyes bright and shining. He threw his head back, clutching Derek’s clawed hand and added his voice into the howl. The room rang with power, pride and victory. Oliver had calmed his mate and Nina had clamed hers and every werewolf in the room was stepping forward as witness, marking their approval with their howl much like the actual witnesses would sign the paper work in the human part of the ceremony.

Legend said that when the witnesses howled every werewolf on earth felt a shiver running down their back and caught the sent of their mate on the wind- a reminder that they were not alone in this world and somewhere their mate waited. 

Derek shifted back and pulled Stiles towards him, kissing him deeply. And Stiles forgot to struggle, forgot that this was all pretend, forgot about Josh and anger and pain until only pack and home and love and _right_ remained.

 

*

 

At the reception they _danced_. Truly, honest to god, danced together- all of them laughing and twirling the girls, Eric most of all once it was discovered that her skirts rose around her and she would throw her head back, laughing like a little girl.

Isaac showed off his moves, Stiles tried to do the robot and even Derek did a little Latin thing when he was unceremoniously shoved into the center of their circle by Scott and Boyd. Scott kind of flailed for a bit and Stiles was proud to say that despite all his werewolf grace he was a terrible dancer- worse in the pack. He kept trying though, bless him, until Alison took pity and grabbing his hands in hers and began to control his movements.  

Boyd kind of swayed from side until Isaac and Erica poked and prodded and suddenly he was showing off moves that none of them even knew were hidden behind the though stoic exterior.

Derek laughed, grabbing Stiles around the waist and pulling him close “Did you know he had it in him?” 

“Never,” laughed Stiles, “until thirty seconds ago I would have sworn up and down that the best you’d ever be able to get out of him would be swaying back and forth. If that!” 

“Boyd!” shouted Derek over the music, “you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, don’t you?” 

Boyed groaned, hiding his face in his hands, “don’t say it, please!” 

Derek gave him an evil grin, “You, my dear Beta, will be giving the Pack dancing lessons!” 

The girls squealed happily as the boys burst out laughing, Jackson doubling over and pointing at Boyd who growled at him.

“What are you all laughing at?” asked Derek, “You’re the ones that will be learning from him.” 

That sobered everyone up in a heartbeat.

“Well,” said Scott grinning, “I definitely need it, so if I have to suffer, I don’t see why the lot of you shouldn’t suffer too. Derek, you’re going to learning too, right?” 

“Of course he is!” said Stiles pulling out of Derek’s arms and putting some distance between them.  “Did you not hear him? He said the Pack, which means Derek too! Otherwise he would have said Betas!” Then he ran, because Derek was growing, eyes flashing red the moment before he gave chase. 


	8. Chapter 8

Derek and Stiles did the networking thing for a bit, Derek being pulled away by the alphas and Stiles taken aside by the healers until Derek interrupted with shy smile and murmurs of what suspiciously sounded like _our song_ and pulled Stiles onto the dance floor.

Stiles was so grateful to his younger self who had once spent three whole months taking dance lessons in anticipation of his first school dance. His plan was to learn to dance and sweep Lydia off her feet with his grace, quick wit and charm. Needless to say she hadn’t even noticed him and Stiles had left the dance slightly depleted but not broken, because it was true love and true love always won in the end.

It was funny how much had changed. Lydia was his friend and he was dancing in the arms of the most beautiful man god had every created. 

“Ever heard of Catarina Migliorini?” asks Stiles. 

“Nope,” says Derek, hand slipping under Stiles’s suit jacket.

“She sold her virginity on the internet. Made a killing!”

“Hmmm…” murmured Derek into Stiles’s hair, not really listening.

“I’m thinking I should try that, you know, I could upgrade my laptop and everything, get my jeep the work she so desperately needs and totally deserves. What do you think? How much do you think my virginity would go for online?”

Derek broke out of his Stiles induced haze with a growl, clutching Stiles closer to him. 

“Don’t be a moron. Like anyone one would ever-" 

“What? Consider buying my virginity? I would have you know that some people totally find me attractive.”

“That wasn’t what I was going to say Stiles,” Derek hisses “what I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me was that no one would ever let you sell your virginity online. It's a stupid idea and it’s unbecoming of you. Your first time means something, no matter what all those stupid movies and TV series tell you. It’s not something you should just pawn off or throw away with some random someone. It is something that will stay with you forever and it bloody matters. It shapes the person you become; it shapes your choices and you choice of partners and your self-esteem.

“It’s like… look at Scott. He chose Allison. If they ever break up he will always rank his partners against her. He will never settle for less, because he knows, he knows that he can have a woman like her. And when he goes out looking, he won’t even consider anyone bellow that standard. And Allison will do the exact same thing. She will never choose a man that will walk all over her and use her, not because she’s too pretty or smart to be used or any shit like that, but because she _knows_ that this is how she should be treated, not from friends telling her she deserves better, but from actual real life experience.

“It leaves a mark- your first time." 

Stiles wanted to say something about that being the most words Derek had ever said in his entire life, but it felt like this was something important.

“But your first time-“

“Was Kate, and I have spent every day since trying to scrub myself clean of it." 

“But…”

“Look, come on,” Derek took Stile’s hand and led him outside, into the garden, they walked in silence until Derek pulled Stiles onto a bench and turned to face him.

“Look, when Laura and I moved to New York I went through a whole string of _‘relationships’_ and Laura, she was patient and said nothing until one day when she had had enough. They were all the same, these ‘relationships’. I would meet someone, we’d hit it off, I would think: _this, this is good, this can work, I can make this work, I can make this person love me._ We’d fuck, and they would never even call me back. It was ridiculous. And the worst part was that it wouldn’t stop.

“And every time I thought: _next time, I would do better next time._ But there was always a little voice in the back of my mind saying that I didn’t deserve better, not really, that I deserved to be used for my looks or my money or my body. So I would go back and find the next one and they would use me all over again. And all the while the little voice was saying: _you deserve it. This is the best you can do. This is the best you will ever do. Enjoy it. At least you can get this, at least they like your body enough to fuck you._

It took Laura beating me into a bloody pulp just to make me sit down and listen. And she opened my eyes to it. And I shouted at her and told her that there was obviously something wrong with me, because how could there not be something wrong with me, all these people using me and not one, not one-“

Derek broke off, breathing deeply and composing himself. 

“You don’t have to-“ whispered Stiles taking Derek’s hand in his.

“No, No. I have to tell you this, because you _have_ to understand how important this is. What an enormous impact something so trivial (in your mind) will have on your future.

“So Laura brought out the list of people I dated since Kate. Each and every one that had used me, and as she dissected my relationships I realized that the signs were all there. I was choosing guys that had histories of sleeping with people and never calling them back, girls that just got out of serious relationships and needed rebounds, some of these people told me, told me up front that they weren’t looking for anything serious and I wouldn’t listen. Because what I was really doing was dating Kate, over and over and over again, each time hoping desperately that she would love me.”

“Derek, I’m so sorry,”

“Don’t be, it was important for me to go through this, to see the pattern and to realize that I don’t want that for myself anymore, but it took so much more work than it should have, so much more time.

“What I’m saying is if your first time never calls you back, how will you know that you deserve to be called back? If they don’t tell you that you’re perfect, how many partners will it take for you to realize that you are? If they do not think about you how will you know that you matter too?

“Sex isn’t as simple as the media you’re filing your hyperactive brain with would like you to think. I some cultures… or maybe this is a religious thing, I don’t remember, but they say that when you give your body to another person your brain may think it’s a one night stand, but your body, your body thinks that it is married. That it is loved and it is honored and protected and bound. And then you break that bond the very next day, and you do it again and again and again, until your body learns not to bond anymore, because that way lies pain. And when you finally do find the right person you don’t know how to bond anymore. And…

“It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry. It’s none of my business and your decision anyway, I just think you deserve better than spending the next however many years of your life questioning your worth.”

“Thank you,” whispered Stiles, staring into Derek’s eyes, “Thank you for telling me about this. It… It means a lot, really. It…” Stiles reached out with his free hand to touch Derek’s cheek, Derek flinched back and Stiles frowned pulling his hand away and twisting it into a fist on his lap. He didn’t know why Derek had told him that, but maybe this was his way of telling Stiles that he shouldn’t try to sleep with Derek on this trip (as if he was going to) that they should stay platonic, that Stiles should find someone that truly loved him for his first time.

It hurt, rejection always did, but maybe this was ok. Maybe this was what Stiles needed to separate himself from the romance and flintiness of the day. Derek obviously cared for him. Cared enough to really explain why they shouldn’t sleep together, all the while without hurting Stiles’s feelings. Without telling him that he was to spastic or skinny or whatever it was that Derek found so unappealing, but it was nice. It was beautiful even, they way he was gentile about it, the way that he-

“Lets go back inside, the Betas are looking for us.”

“Yeah,” said Stiles, taking Derek’s offered hand, “Lets do that.”

*


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Josh called Stiles was so immersed in dancing with Alison and Lydia he almost didn’t answer, but he should say something to the man, maybe that he wasn’t feeling well, or that he had yet to give his toast and didn’t know how long it would be.

“Hello… wait! It’s too loud! I can’t hear a word you’re saying- let me go outside- let me- almost there, there! Hey.” 

“Good evening, darling,” said Josh’s warm voice “How’s the wedding going?”

“It’s-“ Stiles turned to the window to look inside. His eyes fell on Derek who was looking up at a young woman in thin pastel pink dress. She was grinning down at him and he was smiling at her, soft and warm. He gestured at Stiles’s seat and she took it, placing a delicate hand on Derek’s larger one. Stiles frowned, but Derek didn’t move his hand, instead he said something, leaning closer. 

And Stiles knew then, with harsh clarity, that he needed to leave. That this was not for him, that this was not his and that no matter what he did Derek would always be smiling that way at someone else. He had thought that Derek’s epic speech had been enough for Stiles to just let it go, but seeing that, seeing another woman touching him, obviously Stiles had a long way to go before he was able to ‘just be friends’ and be happy for Derek.

“Stiles? Are you there?”

“Yeah,” he choked out, clearing his throat “Yeah,” he said a bit clearer, “I’m here, faulty reception, sorry, my phone’s been doing this all day.” 

Derek lifted his free hand and ran his knuckles down the girl’s cheek. She smiled leaning into the touch. And she was so beautiful it hurt. Stiles knew there was no way that he could compete with that, even if he tried.

“Yeah, the party’s a bit boring. You’ll pick me up?”

“Definitely. Text me the address, I’ll be there as soon as humanly possible.” Humanly possible- ha, he hadn’t heard that one for a while.

A slow song must have come on because the Betas were coupling off. And then Derek got up and extended a hand to the girl in the pink dress and they walked onto the dance floor. As Derek wrapped his arms around her waist Stiles turned away.

“I can’t wait, Josh. See you soon.” 

After texting Josh the address he went into the toilet to splash some cold water on his face, pulling himself together. He didn’t think a murder at the wedding would go down very well. But then, there would be no murder, because Stiles was better than that, stronger than stupid jealousy. He had a date. He didn’t need to storm in there to claim his territory; he had no territory in there. But maybe, maybe Josh could become his territory. And then he would belong to Josh and Josh would belong to him and he would never need to think of pretty girls in pink dresses because they simply wouldn’t exist in their lives. Stiles looked at himself in the mirror. He looked good. He didn’t deserve Derek and his stupid mood swings. He deserved a man like Josh, a man that would love his and cherish him and fight for him and shower him with love and affection.

The little voice whispering _could anyone ever fight for you as much as Derek has?_ was smothered and silenced. 

By the time he got back to the table Derek was sitting again, still talking to the brunet. She had removed her hands from him though, thank god.

“Derek,” said Stiles.

Derek’s gaze when he looked up at Stiles was colder than it had been all day and Stiles suddenly got the distinct feeling that Derek had overheard his conversation. But that was stupid. Even werewolf hearing couldn’t pick out a phone call happening outside over the music blasting out of the speakers.

“I don’t feel very well. I’m going to go home.”

“Stiles-“ growled Derek.

“I told you I wasn’t feeling very well this morning.” Hinting at their earlier conversation where Derek had promised, _promised_ to cover for him. “I think it’s back to bite me in the arse. I’ve already called a car, so don’t worry. You should stay with the Betas, _honey._ They are having fun.” 

“Fine. I’ll walk you out,” said Derek, beginning to rise. 

_beep_

**Josh:** I’m here Darling

“That’s fine, the car’s already here, I don’t want you to catch whatever it is I’ve got. Say bye to the guys.”

“Fine.”

Stiles turned to leave.

“Stiles wait-“ and suddenly his heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. Stupid, stupid hope blooming in his chest. _Stop me. Make me stay. Don’t make me leave._

“Take my tie back to the room. It’s stifling.” 

Stiles’s heart crashed right past his feet, into the floorboards and broke it’s way right through the earth. He twirled around, snatching the burgundy tie out of Derek’s extended hand and crumpled it in his fist before storming off.

Fine. Just fine. Whatever.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your AMAZING support!!!!! it means so so so so much to me!!!! it gives me meaning in a meaningless world and happiness on long days! you are all magical!!! Two chapters this time! hope you like them!!!!  
> ps totally un betad so... I'm really really sorry for all the gazzilion mistakes! I'll try to go over it in the next day or so and sort them out!

 

“Let's go,” said Stiles as soon as he was in the car, afraid to do or say anything else incase there was someone outside to overhear or oversee.

When they got far enough away from the reception Stiles breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god you came. It was awful.” 

“Oh, honey, don’t worry, I will always be there to rescue you.”

Stiles turned to the blond, grinning.

“You’re pretty awesome.” 

“Yeah,” murmured Josh, putting his hand on Stiles’s “But you’re better.”

This was good. This was what he needed. A wonderful man who saw him. Really truly saw him. A man that thought he was awesome.

*

The first place they went to was a lovely little Italian restaurant, but they left almost immediately.

“This is what you get for trusting old uni buddies,” said Josh, “what a joke.” The hostess was useless, they gave away our table and the cutlery had stains on it! Ugh. I despise unprofessional attitudes.” 

Stiles nodded along, though he didn’t really know what Josh was talking about, a bit pedantic to he honest, but to each his own. 

“Nobu I think. It’s right around the corner. Do you mind Japanese, or were you set on Italian?”

“No,” said Stiles, “Japanese is great. Love Japanese.”

“I haven’t been to the New York one yet. Have you?” 

“Hm?”

“The New York Nobu,” prompted Josh

“Nope, never.”

“Well they tend to keep a high standard, it should be fine,” Josh grinned at Stiles as though that settled the matter and grabbed his hand.

Stiles smiled. It was nice of Josh to ask his opinion, even if he didn’t have a clue as to what Nobu was and had only ever tried sushi at Lydia’s insistence having little to no experience in the whole process. And then he realized that he was feeling _grateful_ for being asked his opinion, and how messed up was that! Jesus, spending so much time with Derek had really done a number on him.

Nobu turned out to be ridiculously glamorous and even more expensive. Stiles frowned. He was obviously missing something. The hotel they were staying at was nice, but Stiles knew that none of his pack could afford this every night, well apart from Lydia and Jackson, but they were loaded. And the pedantic attitude, that was a bit… odd. He had always thought startup people were using every penny they had to create their dream business. It had to be a pretty spectacular startup if Josh could afford to treat Stiles to a dinner like this.

When in doubt, ask Google, was Stile’s motto, so the moment Josh left for the bathroom his phone was out and he was searching _Joshua Blakely._

“Mother Fucker!” hissed Stiles the moment he read the first result. Josh’s photos popping up in the images section of the results.

 

** Joshua Blakely  ** sells gQube for 8.4 Million Dollars

www.bbc.co.uk>tech

One of the largest sales in IT this year has **Blakely** , already rather well off after a investing in some of Gazprom’s stalk making…

 

gQube for the win!

[www.mashable.com/h2fjj4/ess-3](http://www.mashable.com/h2fjj4/ess-3)

**Joshua Blakely** , one of this year’s most successful entrepreneurs sells what only a year ago was ‘just another tech startup’ for a shocking 8.4 billi… 

 

** Joshua Blakely **

[www.wikipedia.com/244ah.rr.httm](http://www.wikipedia.com/244ah.rr.httm)

**Joshua Blakely** , gas magnate and entrepreneur was born in 1981 to mother Helen Blakely and father Gerome Blakely. He is most known for his…

And on it went, page after page after page. Josh, Stiles’s date Josh, was filthy rich, and Stiles didn’t even have a clue. It was nuts. Crazy to try to associate the happy, ambitious young man having dinner with him the second night in a row with Joshua Blakely- Stiles choked. Better not think about it.  It was way too much for his brain to process. He’d think about it evening tomorrow, when he was on the plane with the Pack.

“I’m guessing you had enough of dancing?” asked Josh, sliding into his seat across from Stiles.

For a moment Stiles desperately tried to get his hear rate under control, until he suddenly remembered, with a burst of a laugh, that Josh couldn’t tell when his heart rate got out of control. In fact, he couldn’t tell anything more about Stiles than Stiles could tell about him. Which meant, Stiles wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but he knew it meant something good.

“Yeah, you have no idea.” 

“Ok, so I was thinking we should go to the Imax, see the new Iron Man movie. What do you think?”

“Yeah! Iron Man! Do I look like I could ever say no to Iron Man? Like _ever_? It’s iron man! The dudes a fucking genius! Ugh! Best superhero e-v-e-r! Well, apart from Batman, and Spiderman, and Captain America, though the movie was pretty shit, and like most of the X-Men… and-“

Josh threw his head back laughing.

“Hey!” said Stiles, waving his chopsticks (that were currently holding tuna sashimi) at Josh, “You can’t laugh at me!”

Josh snapped forward and caught Stiles’s dancing tuna with such dexterity that it could put all of Stiles’s werewolves to shame.

“I’m not laughing at you,” said Josh over his mouthful, “how could I laugh at you for liking superheroes when I love that about you.”

And then Josh blinked at Stiles and blushed.

“Sorry, you just… It’s hard for me to control myself around you, you keep catching me off guard,” said Josh, reaching out a hand to slide it under Stiles’s palm, taking his hand in his.

“Look who’s talking,” murmured Stiles, squeezing back.

*

The movie was epic. Duh. And seeing it on the Imax screen only made it even more so.

Josh had bought Stiles a massive tub of sweet popcorn that there was no way they were ever finishing, especially after the dinner.

He had taken Stiles’s hand in his and had proceeded to kiss Stiles to distraction the entire time. 

*

After the movie they went for a walk and found themselves on a small playground where Josh laid down onto the slide and Stiles laid down on top of Josh. It’s hard to say how much time they spent there, talking and laughing and kissing, Josh’s hands running gently up and down Stiles’ back when he turned around and straddled Josh. 

The sun was coming up, basking Manhattan in a pink glow. Stiles slowly got to his feet, helping Josh up. Stiles was sorry to find that the night was over and he had the wedding brunch and then it would be time to go back to Beacon Hills.

They were slowly making their way back to the hotel. Stiles had skipped off ahead to look into the window of a bookshop when the question came.

 “You should stay in New York for the summer.”

“What?” asked Stiles, stopping and turning to face Josh.

“I said, that you should spend the summer in New York,” said Josh, stepping closer to Stiles and placing tentative hands on his waist.

“I can’t do that!” replied Stiles with an incredulous laugh.

“Why not?”

“Well, I can’t afford to for one, and what the hell would I do here alone the entire summer?”

“You wouldn’t be alone, you’d be with me. We’d live in our hotel, or I’ll rent us an apartment if you prefer, and…” Josh pulls Stiles a little closer, “look, I know that we hardly know each other, but I think it would be amazing, and you don’t have school for a few months yet, and as for money, I’m your boyfriend, it’s my job to take care of you.”

“Boyfriend?” Stiles squeaked

“Stiles, I get it, I’m moving too soon and freaking you out, but here’s the thing. I really like you, like really, really and I think we can have something great here, but I have to be in new york this summer, I can’t afford to leave my start up so early in the process, but I want you with me. And we’ll try, and if it doesn’t work, no harm no foul, but if it does, by the beginning of the school year the project should be on it’s feet and I’ll go anywhere you want, wherever you go to school, I’ll go with you.“

“Josh...”

“I wouldn’t, if it were any other circumstance I wouldn’t, but you’re leaving tomorrow, well, today already, and I can’t… The idea of not trying, of not throwing caution and sanity to the wind is just… We can be so good together Stiles. Stay. Stay with me. I’ll take care of everything. It’s New York, it’s the summer, what have you got to lose?”

And that was the big question, wasn’t it? What did Stiles really have to loose? His dad wouldn’t mind, his pack was large enough and strong enough now that they could definitely survive the summer without getting mauled. He had no commitments.

And Derek, well, he needed to get over Derek and could he really do that, spending every day this summer by his side?

It was a crazy idea, really and truly crazy, but what if? What if he stayed? What if they tried? What if without Derek breathing down his neck he could really fall in love with Josh? Here was a man, a wonderful, beautiful man, offering Stiles not a one-night stand, or a fling or a make-believe mating, but a real relationship.

“What have I got to lose…” breathed Stiles, moving a tiny bit closer and placing his hands on Josh’s shoulders.

They kissed and it was slow and sweet and wonderful. And Stiles thought _this is good._

“Nothing. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“Does that mean you’ll stay?”

“Yes.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

When Stiles got back to the hotel room Derek was already gone. His suitcase was mostly packed in preparation for the evening’s flight, but there were still a few shirts strewn about, a sock peeking out from under the rumpled bed covers, yesterday’s jacket in a pile on the floor. The mess made Stiles sigh; Derek was never very good at living.

Pulling his empty suitcase from its place atop the wardrobe Stiles dropped it onto the bed. It was better to do this now, to move his things into the room Josh had gotten him, lest he looses the nerve somewhere on the way from here to the explosion that was sure to follow the unveiling of this brilliant little plan.

Stiles pulled out his phone and opened up Skype.

_“Sheriff speaking.”_

“Dad? It’s me.”

_“Stiles? Who’s number is this?”_

“I’m calling from Skype dad, hence the weird number.”

_“Skype?”_

“Yes, remember the blue button I downloaded onto you iPhone before I left?”

_“I know what Skype is Stiles,”_ his dad sounded exasperated.

“Could’a fooled me,” mumbled Stiles.

_“What? Speak up son!”_

“Sorry, sorry! Loooook… dad…”

_“Oh no… spit it out. What did you do?”_

“What? Nothing! Why do you automatically assume I did something?”

_“Because you_ always _do something.”_

“That is so not true! Well… mostly not true…. Kinda not true… nevermind! I didn’t do anything… yet."

_“Stiles.”_

“Right, right. Look, I uh, IwanttostayinNewYorkforthesummer.”

_“Son, lets try that one more time, but now, with spaces between the words.”_

“I. Want. To. Stay. In. New York. For. The. Rest. Of. The. Summer,” pause, “Please.”

His father stayed silent.

“I have a friend here I can stay with and I’ll get a summer job, or an internship or something, it’ll be a great way to get ready for collage!”

_“And Derek, what does he think about all this?”_

“What the hell does Derek have to do with anything?”

_“I don’t know, I was under the impression that… you know what? Never mind. Are you sure you want to do this?”_

“Yeah dad, I mean, I’m going to be doing my BA online anyway, this is my only opportunity to really… I don’t know, explore, see the world, learn to stand on my own two feet, whatever, without, well without the pack there. After, once classes start, that’s it, I’ll be in Beacon Hills, like, forever.”

_“You know it’s not forever Stiles, you can still go to campus, you were accepted into the fulltime program.”_

“I know dad, but I want to stay in Beacon Hills, I stick by my choice. It was the right one. I still think it was the right one. I just… want a chance, you know? A chance to see what I can do without all of you there to support me. Maybe I’ll come back with my metaphorical tail between my legs, but maybe, maybe dad, I’ll come back knowing who I am and what I’m actually capable of. This is important, I think. There are things I need to work through, things I’ll never work through in Beacon Hills, and to be honest, I’ll need a clear head if I want to find the strength to motivate myself to spend three years studying online.”

_“Stiles, if this is what you want, I won’t stop you. But three rules.”_

“Daaaad!”

_“Three rules Stiles.”_

“Yes dad. Whatever you say dad.”

_“One: check in at least once every two days. The moment I don’t hear from you in the space of forty-eight hours I’m booking a ticket to New York and dragging you home by the scruff of your neck. Understood?”_

“Yes dad.”

_“Two: the moment you need to- come home. Three: be safe, but don’t forget to have fun. You get to be just Stiles there. Not the sheriff’s son, not a part of a wolf pack, just a boy. Use that to the fullest. When you get home, you’ll have to step up and step back into your responsibilities, I’d like to know that when you do that, you do that because you want to. Because you choose to come back, not because you don’t know anything different.”_

Stiles was silent, the sock that he’d been rolling hanging loosely from his hand, if there was any way he had expected this conversation to go, this was definitely not it.

_“Stile?”_

“Yeah,” Stiles cleared his throat, “yeah Dad, I’m here.”

_“What are the rules?”_

“Call every day. Come home if I hate it. Live life to the fullest. Safely.”

_“Exactly. Now I’ve got to go, shift’s about to start. I love you son.”_

“Dad?”

_“Yeah?”_

“I love you dad. So much.”

_“Me too son, me too. What do you need to do?”_

“Check in forty-eight times a day, dad.”

_“Good. Be safe.”_

The phone clicked off. Stiles continued to pack, not really seeing what he was doing. He had never really looked at his life in the way his father had just described it. Stiles was good at what he did. He fell into a pattern and followed it, never diverging, never questioning the fact that perhaps he was meant to be doing something, anything, else. This was deeply connected to the passing of his mother, for when he was younger, in an attempt to find an explanation Stiles had dug through thousands of books and religious texts and had come to the realization that either he were to see his mother’s death as a representation of the unjustness of the world, or he see it as fate, as a force bigger, stronger than himself and his father, a force that needed his mother elsewhere. This fatalist attitude was the only thing that kept him from raging out into the world and destroying everything around him. But as much as it gave him a sense of piece, it had also developed within Stiles a platitude. He no longer felt responsible for his life; he simply went with the flow.

The pack needed him to stay in Beacon Hills? He would stay.

Lydia was doing an online course? So would he.

Derek needed a shoulder to fall back on? He would be that shoulder.

Though Stiles was more than happy to do these things, to be this thing for his friends, he realized now that it was more or less thrust upon him, without giving him the time to make a conscious choice about what it was that he, Stiles, not pack mate Stiles, or BFF Stiles, or backup plan Stiles, really wanted in life.

This was good. Thought Stiles, zipping up his suitcase and dragging it to the floor.

Stiles walked to the door and turned on his heal one last time. He took in Derek’s sock, winking up at him from under the bed, his evening jacket in a pile on the floor, reaching out to him with empty sleeves, the shirts, crumpled and hopeless, falling off the desk chair. This was it. He was doing this. Stiles walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him as he began to guide his suitcase to room 442, the room that Josh had gotten him, because he didn’t just expect Stiles to jump into his bed. Because Josh cared, because Josh respected him. Because to Josh, Stiles was beautiful and deserved respect and care and a choice. Stiles deserved a choice. This was a good plan.

*


	12. Chapter 12

Derek was already sitting at the head of one of the picnic tables by the time Stiles got to the brunch. There was an empty spot next to him, presumably for Stiles. Stiles sighed, shook himself off and slowly made his way to the table.

“Stiles! How are you feeling bro?” asked Scott as Stiles slid into the seat between him and Derek.

“Better, much, thanks. Ready to part-ey!”

*

The picnic was fine. Nothing happened, Derek didn’t kiss Stiles, just placed a hand over his whenever someone happened to look their way. Stiles was grateful for it, he wasn’t sure his resolve would hold if he suddenly found himself kissing Derek.

And if Stiles was more fidgety then normal, no one mentioned it.

Soon enough they were all walking back into the hotel lobby and Derek was giving out instructions about packing and being downstairs on time.

“Stiles, do you have anything to add?” asked Derek.

Stiles frowned. This question, this strange and unfamiliar deferral was identical to how Alphas would defer to their mates. Apparently their time pretending to be mated had rubbed off on Derek and left a, what? A mark? A habit? To treat Stiles as his partner. Stiles didn’t really know what to do with that. If he were to leave now, that habit would die. Just like any chance of them actually being together.

But no. When Stiles really thought about it, he knew, he knew he had no chance anyway, and there was no need to drag out the pain. Clean break and all that.

“Stiles!”

“Yeah! What? I’m here!”

“Anything to add?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, yes, I do. Right, how do I say this…”

“Out with it Stiles,” growled Derek, beginning to grow annoyed. 

“I’m staying.” The whole pack frowned. Erica tipped her head to the side; Boyd pursed his lips; Jackson wrinkled his brow so hard it was almost comical.

“You’re what?” asked Derek slowly, eyes narrowing.

“I’m, ah, staying in New York, the Big Apple, the City, Gotham, if you will, the Melting Pot, the City so Nice They Nam-“

“Enough!” barked Derek, “I don’t care about whatever stupid little plan you have in your head, Stiles, go. Pack. Your. Things.”

“Derek-” said Stiles quietly, reaching out a hand in the man’s direction.

“Stiles,” Erica butted in, “you can’t stay here for the summer! It’s insane!” one glare from her Alpha had her shutting up and stepping back.

“Did I not make myself clear?” snapped Derek, “Now!”

“Derek, I’ve already packed my things and moved out of your room.”

The look on Derek’s face was horrifying. A mixture of surprise and panic and pain. Like Stiles was ripping his heart out. But Stiles wasn’t ripping his heart out. Because if anyone, ever, got a hold of Derek’s heart, it would not be Stiles. So he took a deep breath, and carried on.

“I’m staying. It’s decided. It’s final. And I am not asking you, I am informing you, that I will be gone for the rest of the summer. Come September and I will be back in Beacon Hills, performing my duties as I have all this time. But until then, I’m out.”

“Stiles,” Scott interrupted, “you can’t.”

“But we need you,” murmured Isaac.

“You can’t leave me with this bunch of idiots!” said Lydia, grabbing Stiles by the hand and trying to pull him towards her. But Stiles was looking at Derek. Stiles was, in all honesty, forever looking at Derek.

“Go upstairs,” said Derek, his voice what soft, but the command behind it rang clear, “all of you.”

And then, just like that, the pack was gone, and all that was left was Derek and Stiles and the silence ringing bright and loud between them.

“Why are you doing this?” asked Derek. He was rubbing his palm over his mouth, refusing to meet Stiles’ eyes.

Stiles opened his mouth to reply but Derek cut him off.

“I get that you hate me,” he said, turning back to face Stiles, eyes wide and pleading, “and I’m sorry. I know I completely creep you out, god, you’ve told me enough times for me to figure it out. But Stiles, your pack _needs_ you. I _need_ you. You can’t-” Derek cut himself off then, as though he could not bare to say another word. His eyes searched Stiles’ face and Stiles closed his eyes.

 “Is this your final decision?” asked Derek a moment later, eyes going empty and indifferent.

“Derek, I don’t hate you-“

“Is this your _final_ decision?”

“It is.”

“Very well then. Leave.”

Stiles stands there for a moment, trying to blink back unexpected tears.

“Derek, I’m-“

“Leave!” and if it had been said any louder it would have qualified as a roar.

Stiles turned slowly, shoulders hunching in on themselves.

_Stop me, stop me, stop me, stop me, stop me, st-_

“Oh, and Stiles,”

Stiles turns, teary eyes wide and hopeful.

“Maybe you should reconsider your decision to study off campus while you’re here.”

Stiles flinched as if slapped and hurried away. He couldn’t say another word. He couldn’t do anything. All he could do was walk away from the man he loved, and into the arms of another.

*

That evening, after there were no more tears left inside of Stiles, after he had wept and cries and sobbed and ragged, after he had fallen asleep in his large double room, Stiles awoke.

He was groggy and still rather devastated, but the was no use for this now. He was in New York and he had the whole summer ahead of him. He was going to see if Josh were back from his meetings and then, he would go and get food. So Stiles dressed and left his room.

Josh was not back. Which, really, was a blessing in disguise, because in all honesty, Stiles was simply not ready to face him.

Stiles walked out into the lobby where he was promptly grabbed by the hotel manager.

“Mr. Stilinski. I apologize for this interruption of your evening, but I thought it vital to inform you that your partner, one Mr. Derek Hale, well, I don’t quite know how to say this…”

Stiles frowned. This did not sound good.

“Go on…”

“Well, Mr. Stilinski, it would seem that Mr. Hale has destroyed the room you had been staying in.”

“Shit! What? How?”

“He was very, um, courteous about it, left his credit card details and everything, to pay for the repairs, as he put it, but I just thought, you had been staying together. Maybe it was important for you to know.”

“Yes, Mr. ..?”

“Smith. But call me Tom.”

“Tom, thank you. Yes. Thank’s for telling me. It was actually really important for me to know. You’re awesome man, thanks!”

“You’re most welcome Mr. Stilinski.”

Stiles couldn’t get away fast enough, pulling out his phone and texting Scott there was still a bit of time before the pack was supposed to take off. Werewolf hearing did not make for very private phone conversations.

 **To Scott:** _WTF?!_

 **From Scott:** _WTF? WTF? Also. I’m not allowed to text you. Let me get home at least. Derek on massive ragger._

Yeah, like Scott would ever stop talking to Stiles. What a dick move. Then again, Derek was always full of dick moves.

 **To Scott:** _I heard about the room._

 **From Scott:** _I know, right! WTF?!?!? Erica and Boyd had to physically pin him down to make him stop. It was WWIII!_

What the hell?

 **From Scott:**   _going to the gate._ _engaging radio silence._

 **To Scott:** _Radio silence confirmed_.

*

It was nearly twenty minutes later when Scott texted him again.

 **From Scott:** _dude. I think Derek is in love with you._

Stiles desperately tried to call him, but Scott's phone was going straight to voicemail. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now have Tumblr! yay!!! http://chioces.tumblr.com/


End file.
